A World Unknown: Through the Portal
by Rusty Myers
Summary: Married life isn't all Alexus had hoped for. Legolas is hardly ever home and when he is, he hardly has time for her! She misses her old life and her sorrow is starting to affect her relationship. Is there anything Legolas can do to relight their old flame
1. Chapter One: A Rocky Start

Disclaimer: Hey y'all! It's me again! I hope I some of my previous readers are still with me, but either way I'm gonna try to finish this fic as well. I don't plan on making it as long as the previous and the chapters should be slightly shorter since I've less time to write with school and all. If you haven't read my story's prequel, then I suggest you do, but it shouldn't be all too important.

And for those of you who've read my other stories, I'm sorry to inform you that Adam Abeyta has moved to Grants, NM. But I have a new crush now and this one's actually in my grade! His name is Luke Calabro! Anywho, I just thought you all might be sad to know that my star obsession (aside from Orlando Bloom) has moved away from me… Sniff

So, I hope you enjoy! And for those of you who don't know, my e-mail address is E-mail me if you have any questions, comments, of concerns!

Thanx a Bunch!

Rusty

Ps- Oh, I almost forgot! Legolas and Gandalf do not belong to me, nor do any other LOTR characters, though I don't believe any others will find their way into my story.

Chapter One: A Rocky Start

Aliana paced around her room anxiously. Legolas had been gone almost a week and she was starting to worry. Not that this was the first time he'd been away, but this trip seemed to drag by longer than the others.

She sat down on the window seat and stared out into the dense forest. Her thoughts began to wander back to the days when her friends were still here and they had traveled from Mirkwood to Isengard. But that was many years before and there was no sense thinking about it now.

Years ago when she was still sixteen she had lived in what she used to call _the_ _real world_. With her abusive father and deceased mother it's no wonder she dreamed of other worlds. That's how she ended up here, in Middle Earth. She had written in a diary and was transported here where she met Legolas. He journeyed with her to Isengard where she planned to ask Gandalf for help on returning to her world. In Lake Town she met up with her friends Nikhila and Ben who had found her diary and been transported here too. With a brief stop in Lothlorien, the company made its way to Isengard. But unknown to them was their pursuer, Ivellios. He had been Legolas's best friend and advisor and was angered when Aliana came into the picture and, as he put it, stole his prince away. He followed them to the very basements of Isengard where a portal sat to take the three friends home. But during their journey, Legolas and Aliana had unwillingly fallen in love with one another and now Aliana was faced with the hardest decision of her life. Did she return home with her friends or stay in Middle Earth with Legolas? After a tiring battle between Aliana and Ivellios, she chose to stay with Legolas. But this was not after Ben had die-being stabbed through with a blade-Ivellios had been killed, and Rina (aka:Nikhila) had returned to her world.

She held her hand up to her face and stared at the shining ring that resided on her long, slender finger. It was a simple ring, made of silver with strands of gold wrapped entwined along its smooth surface.

She stared at the ring and she wondered, _have I made the right choice? Was staying here with Legolas really the right choice? What might I have done with my life if I hadn't married Legolas? _

Though she told herself and everyone around her that she was alright, the truth was, Aliana missed her old life. She missed her friends and her video games and her books. Heck! She even missed school!

She was usually able to sustain her emotions, telling herself that it was just part of life. Everyone has something that they long for more than anything and this was her longing. If she had returned home with Rina, she would miss Legolas and wish she was back in Middle Earth with him.

But during the time Legolas was gone, off on an errand of some sort, she thought often about her days back home and all that she'd left behind. She would stay in her room for days, never eating, never speaking to anyone.

Legolas would return home to find his wife pale and exhausted, staring blankly out the window. She would never say what she had been thinking during his departure, but he could easily guess.

On this particular day, Legolas turned the doorknob to the room slowly, hoping and praying that Aliana had not gone into one of her depressed states again. He was rather relieved to see her look up at him with eyes filled with relief.

He set his bow and quiver down as she rose from the window seat and stood at his side. He put his arms around her and embraced her. Her head rested gently on his shoulder.

"I was afraid you were never going to come home..." she said with a sigh.

Legolas smiled. "You know I would never leave you."

"But you could have been kidnapped by orcs!" she exclaimed. "Or mutilated by worgs! Or stabbed by bandits! Or stepped on by Ents! Or-"

Legolas put a finger to her lips and smiled softly. "It's alright. I'm home now. And I won't be leaving for another week."

"A week?!" Aliana cried, tears coming to her eyes.

"I'm sorry Aliana, but it's my duty. I must go."

Legolas feared the hint of anger that had been in her voice. _This is so typical of her! She never thinks of how this affects me! Does she think I want to go?! I would much rather stay here!_

"Let me go with you then!" she begged.

"No, you can't," he said calmly. "Not this time. It's too dangerous. An army of orcs are planning to invade Gondor. I've promised Aragorn that I would bring reinforcements from Mirkwood to aid him."

"It's just a few orcs, Legolas! Can't he handle them on his own?!" By now her tears were falling down her face. "He fought hundreds of them at Helm's Deep! And look at those odds!"

"Aliana, calm down. I've already given him my word. I can't change my mind because of you."

"Then why can't I go with you?!"

"I've already told you. It's too dangerous."

"You know just as well as I do that I can fight. You seem to be forgetting that I'm the one who saved your life back at Isengard."

Legolas sighed and embraced her tightly. "Aliana, it's not that I don't want you to go nor that I don't think you could handle it. I don't want to see you get hurt. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. I almost lost you once and I don't want to do it again."

"How do you think I feel, Legolas?! I have to sit her for weeks while you're in Gondor fighting. For all I know you could be dead! How do you think I feel?!"

"That's my duty, Aliana. It's what I was born to do. You can't just expect me to stop doing my job the minute you get here. I told you before I married you that I couldn't do that. And you agreed to it. You accepted that fact."

"You're right, I did accept that, Legolas," she said harshly. "And I've held true to those words until now. But it's you who hasn't held true to yours! You promised me that, even with your duties, we would still have some time together, just the two of us. Can you even remember the last time we had dinner together without your father or some other important person?"

"Well-"

"I can't remember the last time I woke up in the morning and you were lying beside me! Or the last time you…the last time you…"

"The last time I what?" Legolas asked calmly.

Aliana glanced up at him and looked him straight in the eyes. "The last time you said you loved me."

With those words she dashed from the bedroom. Her dress brushed past his ankles as he turned to stop her, but too late. She had gone. He had expected her to welcome him with open arms, but instead…this? What a day this was turning out to be.


	2. Chapter Two: Days Long Since Passed

AN: OK, I hope that was what you all wanted because it's taken me forever to get back into my LOTR fanfic. I hope you liked it and I do in fact have the rest of the plot planned out…minus a few smaller details. Don't expect fast updates because I'm seriously busy with band and newspaper and all my other classes I've got very little free time. Plus all the commuting I do with my parents being divorced and all… But I'll try my best to get them in as quickly as humanly possible!

Thanks for all your support! I really appreciate all the compliments on my previous fic! I couldn't have done it without you!

Rusty

Chapter Two: Days Long Since Passed

Aliana spurred her horse and galloped off into the sunset. She had no intention of leaving, but she had to get away for a few days. She had no idea where she was going or where she wanted to go.

Layanna had tried to stop her, saying that it was just a simple fight. But Aliana, though older and more mature, was still as stubborn and hot-tempered as always. She had even left without her sword and armor. Aliana didn't have a single belonging on her.

Her hair flew behind her. She glanced behind her at the fortress of Mirkwood, disappearing into the distance. _Stupid Legolas… He just doesn't understand what I'm going through! He didn't have to change anything in his life, but I've changed my entire lifestyle! I haven't seen my friends in years!_

When she was sure that she was near the borders of the forest she stopped to rest in a quiet meadow. There were yellow flowers and a few daisies, but mostly just a lot of grass. Her horse began chomping down on some grass and Aliana sat down.

There was nothing around except an old abandoned wishing well. As she stared at it, thoughts of her old life came flooding back to her. There was a wishing well in her backyard. She and her friends used to sit on the edge of it and talk about their problems. It had been like a safe haven for Aliana-back when she was still Alexus Myers.

Her eyelids dropped lazily and she leaned back in the grass. A cool breeze blew across her face, stirring her unkempt hair. She drifted off into a calm sleep, dreaming of days long since passed.

When she awoke the stars were shining brightly above her. Not a sound could be heard except for the quiet chirping of a cricket, calling to its loved one. Aliana stretched and sighed. Oh how she longed for her loved one to be right beside her now, holding her close to him and speaking softly to her in elvish.

_He's probably too upset to come looking for me this time. I suppose it was kind of unfair of me to get on his case about this. But I can't stand it here! I can't stand all this waiting and worrying! It's making me crazy!_

"Oh Legolas… If only there was some way we could make this right again…"

'I know…' the wind seemed to whisper. 'I know…'

She rubbed her arms to warm them up. It hadn't occurred to her to bring a blanket or even her cloak. It was, after all, nearly winter. _Back in my world it would probably December…_

Aliana was startled by her thoughts. _My world? What am I thinking? My world is here now, with Legolas and Layanna. There's nothing for me there! I chose to stay here! This is my home now! Or…is it?_

Aliana closed her eyes tightly in frustration. Her eyes began to sting with the tears she held back. Soon there would be too many to stop. Soon she would be forced to cry. Soon she would succumb to her grief and longing and be forced to relive the terrible memories of her pat.

It was like this every time she cried. Knowing she could not hold back her tears, she would become angry and hateful. Every horrid memory of her past life would come flooding back into her mind-particularly those concerning her father.

She thought back to all the times he hit her, all the times he accused her of killing her mother, all the times she would show up on her friend's doorstep, frightened and bleeding. Bitter tears rolled down her face, falling softly into the dirt.

She saw him looming over her. She saw deep into his steel grey eyes. It was like one of those scenes in a movie when you first see the villain up close. The little children scream, the overdramatic girls gasp in horror, the sadistic teenagers admire his truly evil personage, and Rusty imagines Orlando Bloom rescuing her from the clutches of this evil man. (AN: HaHa!) In whatever way they tried to show it, all were afraid of him. Sauron, Kitiara or Raistlin, Seymour Guado, Malificent, Naraku, Count Olaf, Ivellios-all of these are just a few examples of the villains I speak of.

But then, out of nowhere came the loving face of Ben, the sarcastic laugh of Mandy, the bright smile of Jessica, the harsh but caring reprimands of Nikhila. Her wonderful friends. They were always there for her. They always gave her a shoulder to cry on. Oh how she missed them.

'You bitch! You killed your own mother!' said a voice inside her head.

"No!" Aliana screamed, shaking her head in a desperate attempt to rid her mind of these terrible memories.

The voice of her father began to laugh in his evil, drunken way. She could almost smell the stench of beer in the air. She swore she could see the knife he held in his hand, ready to throw at her.

Aliana held her head close to her knees and tried to beat the images out of her mind. The more she tried the more he laughed and the closer he came to her. Her face was wet with tears and her head ached terribly.

"I hate you…"

"Am I really that bad to live with?"

The visions quickly left her. She was huddled near the well with a small pool of tears near her feet. What had brought her from that horrible dreamlike world? She looked up.

"Legolas!"

Immediately she rose to her feet and ran to hug him. As she did the tears began to stop and her face dried.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't talking about you! I was just thinking…"

"About your father?"

"Yeah…How did you-"

He interrupted her. "You forget, Aliana. I know more about you than you think. I _did_ marry you after all."

She smiled, but her eyes soon became glazed over as she recalled her previous daydream. "I miss them all. I miss them so much, Legolas. I wish there was some way I could see them again!"

He pulled her close to him as the tears began to fall again. He held her in his arms, knowing simply that she was upset and it was better not to say anything for fear of provoking her random mood swings.

"I'm sorry I was so mad at you," she said finally. "I don't know what came over me. It wasn't my place. I-"

"No, you're right. I haven't been spending enough time focusing on us. I mean, we _are_ married after all. I should have found time for you. I should have put my duties aside for once and spent time with you."

"No, you have your duties. You are a prince. It was selfish of me to try and take that away from you. I can wait, Gondor might not be so lucky."

"Aliana-"

She pressed her finger against his lips. "Shh… It's alright. I'll be fine. Just promise me when you get back you'll spend the whole day with me. Promise me you'll be there when I wake up."

"I promise."


	3. Chapter Three: Battle Scars

AN: I don't own any of the LOTR characters and all that jazz… Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever! I just couldn't think of anything to write and this school year seems to have taken its toll on me! So, hope you enjoy and I have no idea how long it will be until my next update…

Rusty

Chapter Three: Battle Scars

Legolas ran his sword through yet another orc and sliced off the head of one more. Through all the painful screams and triumphant shouts, he could hear Aragorn yelling.

"Pull back to the second level! Pull back!"

Legolas replaced his sword and pulled out his bow. He shot a few orcs from his position atop the battle before grabbing a shield and sliding down the nearest set of stairs, commonly called 'stair-surfing' by Aliana.

He drew his two knives and fought his way back towards the main gates of the next level. He glanced behind him to see how many people were still hurrying towards the gate. Quite a few soldiers of Gondor and many of Legolas's men were still fighting back orcs to ensure the safety of the city.

Suddenly someone clasped Legolas on the shoulder. He turned around and saw Aragorn, his shining armor dimmed and bloody. He was reminded of his last battle with Aragorn in front of the black gates. But now his hair was grey and his face wrinkled and his eyes wearier.

"So, my friend, do you think we've still got a chance?"

Legolas nodded his head and replied in an exasperated tone, "Yes."

"Good!" Aragorn said, fighting off an orc with one hand on his sword. "And if this be the day we die, let us die together with honor!"

"I think the old age is getting to you, my friend. We shall not die this day."

Aragorn only nodded and began shouting commands to pull back once again. Legolas strung his bow around the neck of an orc and pulled it tight, watching the blood flow from his neck before removing it and wiping the bowstring clean on the ground.

"Itherian!" Legolas shouted towards his second in command. "Take the rest of our forces to the third level battlements and open fire!"

His remaining forces rushed past him and towards the battlements. Legolas stayed in the city to ensure that no townsperson was left behind in the desperate attempt to clear the second level.

He glanced through windows and broke down doors while killing many an orc with his elven daggers. Aliana had been right when she said she could handle this, but he dared not risk her life in a situation where her help was not needed.

Suddenly a sharp pain seared through his shoulder. Old wounds were reborn and memories of Ivellios came flooding back. But of course he knew it was only an orc with particularly good eyesight.

He spun around and without looking, sliced the body of the orc in half. But the pain in his shoulder was too much to bear without stopping for a few seconds. He leaned up against the cold stone wall to catch his breath.

He looked down at his wound. There was a huge gash in his shoulder. The orc must have used a halberd or some other large weapon. The blood had already dripped down his chest and left a sticky residue on his sheathed sword.

"Damn that's deep…" he muttered, realizing how much it hurt.

He closed his eyes tightly to blot it out. Hopefully when he opened them it would be gone. _This sure isn't turning out like I thought it would. There were a lot more orcs than I thought there'd be. I suppose it's better this way. If I'd have known…If Aliana had known! Aliana!_

Lost in his thoughts he was caught off guard and there was another sharp pain in the side of his head. A large rock clanged to the ground beside him. He collapsed on his knees in a sudden shock and pain. Blood dripped in his eyes, but he still saw and smelled the foul looking orc hovering above him.

A boot rammed into his stomach. He heard the sound of a bone cracking somewhere in his upper body as the boot came back for another swing. Suddenly his face stung with pain. He could no longer see anything. Only the pain surging through his body kept him awake.

"Are you alright?" came a loud cry from somewhere to his left.

The last thing he remembered before his vision dimmed and he became unconscious was Aliana. If only he'd listened to her. He couldn't die here! How could he have been so stupid to close his eyes and let his thoughts wander!

Aragorn took a deep breath as he withdrew his sword from the body of a fallen orc. He looked around him with a tiresome glance, taking in every person, every speck of damage done to the city. No living orc stood anywhere within his sight. Gondor had won and driven their remaining enemies back into the unknown land they now inhabited.

He cheered in triumph, raising his sword high into the air.

"Men of Gondor, friends from distant lands, we have won!" There were a few scattered cheers, but most were too exhausted to utter a single word. "The orcs have run off with cowardice! Tonight we shall celebrate this victory with our brothers and pay tribute to the dead!"

After a few more cheers, men began to head back to the upper levels in search of their neighbors and families. The elves of Mirkwood came huddled together and whispered in low tones, as if they still weren't very trusting of these humans, even after the War of the Rings.

Aragorn followed his people through the cluttered second level and made the long walk back towards the Hall of the Kings where he knew Arwen would be waiting for him. Many people lay battered in the streets, run through by blades or nearly dismembered by an axe, but he kept walking.

Something urged him on. Maybe not towards Arwen, but towards something else. Unaware of this inner influence he made his way up many stairs and through many streets until he came to the house of healing.

Here he found many of his men lying wounded on stone slabs. Others attended to them, cleansing their cuts with healing water and bandaging their wounds with cloth. His feet led him to the corner of the room, somewhat near an open window.

His feet stopped. His hands rested on the edge of the table. When his eyes met the face of the man it bore, he cried out in shock and sorrow. None could have imagined the anguish in his face.

Immediately he sent for Arwen.


	4. Chapter Four: Tales of Tragedy

AN: Me again. Hope you're enjoying it so far. I'm trying to keep it moving along slowly, but it doesn't seem to be working very well. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it so much!

Sorry for the short chapter. I like cliffhangers. The next chapter should be up quicker than usual, but no promises. I'm starting on it right now!

Rusty

Chapter Four: Tales of Tragedy

"My Lady! My Lady! Wake up!"

Aliana roused from her uneasy slumber. "What's the matter?" She rubbed her eyes lazily and stretched her arms outwards with a yawn.

"My Lady! You must come quickly! A messenger has come! King Thranduil says it's imperative that her speak with you as soon as possible!"

Her eyes flittered open like the gentle flap of bird's wings. Layanna stood before her. Though it was only slight, Aliana was sure she could sense a hint of urgency and worry in her voice. Something wasn't right…

"Layanna? What on earth are you-"

But before the elf could finish Layanna threw a simple purple dress and her and instructed her to put it on. Aliana did as she was told and quickly brushed out the knots in her hair before tying it back with a ribbon.

"Now…Tell me again what you were just going on about."

"Never mind that. Just get downstairs. King Thranduil is awaiting your arrival."

"Me? Why is he awaiting _my _arrival?"

Without waiting for an answer, Aliana brushed past Layanna and headed down to the throne room. It was very early in the morning. Even the usual people of the palace weren't out and about at this hour. Through small slits of window Aliana could see only darkness outside.

She approached the heavy oak doors of the throne room. Not even the palace guards seemed awake on this dreary winter's morning. But they opened the doors for her just the same, tired or not.

At one end of the large room was King Thranduil sitting weary-eyed at his throne. His head rested in the palm of his right hand. It was almost depressing watching this sharp-tongued old elf looking so downtrodden.

In front of him, kneeling down on the cold cobblestone floor was a tall elven woman in an elegant satin dress. Her brown hair flowed down past her shoulders with tiny braids here and there. A slender golden crown rested atop her head. Aliana knew who she was without a second glance; Arwen of Gondor.

Suddenly she became desperate, fearful. Her eyes were filled with worry and an unconscious understanding. Her pace quickened, the cold hard floor upon her feet bringing sudden realization that she hadn't put on any shoes.

The woman stood up and bowed her head in reverence towards Aliana. She did not return the greeting, but the women paid no heed, feeling a deep sadness towards the Princess or Mirkwood.

"What's happened!" Aliana demanded, startling both Thranduil and Arwen.

Arwen looked at her sorrowfully and shook her head. "I have some tragic news, your majesty-" She glanced towards Thranduil. "-Aliana-" She glanced towards Aliana, a silver tear shining in the corner of her eye.

"What is it! Tell me what's happened!"

Aliana was not even speaking anymore, she was screaming. She'd lost all sense of politeness and patience. Her face was red with frustration and tears shimmered in her eyes.

Neither Thranduil nor Arwen seemed concerned at her outburst. They both kept straight faces, determined not to show any sign of emotion. It was all he could do to keep from yelling himself and all she could do to keep from flinging her arms around Aliana and hugging her tightly.

Arwen took in a deep breath and continued. "There's no easy way for me to say this, so I'll just come right out with it. Legolas was deeply wounded in battle." Aliana covered her mouth to keep her sobs silent. "We're doing all we can, but our healers aren't sure how much longer he'll last. His wounds are very deep."

Aliana could keep silent no longer. Heavy sobs rolled off her tongue like water from a leaky faucet. She collapsed on the floor, her hair falling around her horrorstruck face.

Thranduil laid his head in his hand and wept silently. He was a strong man, much stronger than Aliana, but even he could not help but cry at this news. Arwen's head drooped sadly, in reverence for Legolas and his family.

Suddenly and without warning, Aliana stood up, swaying a bit to gain her balance, and ran from the room, throwing aside the huge doors. Thranduil looked up, startled. Arwen started after her.

"Let her go."

Arwen looked back at him, startled.

"I knew someday this would happen. Although I was happy my son found his bride, I feared she was not strong enough to be the wife to a prince, possibly the future ruler of Mirkwood. I don't think it ever occurred to either of them. They were so blinded by love that they never thought of the consequences."

Arwen stared back towards the open doors. The guards were peering inside, curious as to what sent their young princess careening through the throne room and out of the palace.

"Are you sure you should leave her alone?" Arwen asked worriedly.

"There's nothing either of us can say to her that will calm her spirits. Now, if you'll excuse me milady, I need to be alone for awhile."

Arwen bowed and left the room. It would be the last time she saw him. King Thranduil, Lord of Mirkwood.


	5. Chapter Five: The Feather of Gwahir

AN: Hey! Hope you're still with me! I feel so lucky to have readers like you all who've stuck with me even though I take months to update. I just get so busy, ya know? With band and newspaper and all my other homework, it's just crazy! Anywho… I'll let you get right to the story since you've all waited so patiently!

Oh, for those of you who care, I've posted the poem that Legolas sings to Aliana in my messed up version of elvish in my prequel. So, if you're so inclined, read and enjoy!

Oh, I've made a slight change to Chapter Four: Friends of my previous fanfic. It was necessary for me to continue on with this fanfic, so I hope ya'll don't mind too much. It's nothing major and I probably could've gotten by without fixing it, but I've noticed that some of you out there are _very_ picky and want everything to fit together perfectly. I'll type up the original and the altered part.

Original

Rina and Ben sat down beside Aliana, none of tem saying anything for a long while. Finally, Aliana spoke. "How did you all get here!"

"When you disappeared, everyone was looking for you," Rina explained.

"Everyone was looking for...me?"

"Yeah, your dad was furious!" Ben put in. "I don't think I've ever seen him so mad!"

"Anyway, Ben and I went to your room to look for clues. We found your diary open on the floor. We both read it and it asked us where we wanted to go. We both wrote in the word 'Alexus' and we ended up here."

"You can't stay here!"

"What! Why not!"

End

Altered Edition

Rina and Ben sat down beside Aliana, none of tem saying anything for a long while. Finally, Aliana spoke. "How did you all get here!"

"Well, you know… I'm not really sure," Ben said, scratching his head.

Rina appeared just as confused. "We just happened to run across your diary while we were over at Jessica's and all of a sudden…"

Ben continued for her. "Words began to appear on the page. It said 'Where would you like to go?' So, just to be funny, I said Middle Earth."

"And all of a sudden, we ended up in Mirkwood."

"It was the weirdest thing."

"Yeah, I mean… How on Earth did that happen!"

All was silent for a moment before Aliana spoke up. "You can't stay here!"

"What! Why not!"

End

Hope that wasn't too big of a problem for anyone!

Rusty

Ps- Oh, and we're having more internet problems at my dad's, so I must yet again change my e-mail address. It is now Five: The Feather of Gwahir

Aliana's foot caught a deep hole in the dirt and she fell against a large tree, her arms stretched out in front of her. She didn't have the willpower to move, so she stood for long moments embracing the tree as tears streamed down her face.

"Why! Why did you have to go! God dammit! Why!"

Her sobs were long and heavy. Every woodland creature had long since flown or scurried away, leaving Aliana completely alone. She slammed her fist against the tree, still screaming in bitter frustration.

"Curse you all! Curse this damn place! I wish I'd never come to Middle Earth! What a terrible place this is! If only I'd stayed home! If only I hadn't written in that damn journal! Ben would still be alive and I never would've met you!"

As she lay against the tree weeping, a warm breeze blew across her face. Her hair swayed calmly in the wing and her tears began to dry. Aliana was almost sure she could feel Legolas embracing her, his smooth skin pressing against her chest, his soft hair brushing across her face. She could hear his sweet voice whispering to her. But no… She must be dreaming.

But though she told herself it wasn't real, she still couldn't shake the familiar presence she felt when the wind blew across her face. It was like he had died, but his spirit had lingered on to say goodbye. She could hear him calling to her, whispering in the breeze.

"I'm not gone yet, you know."

"Yes, but they say you haven't got long to live," she sobbed.

The breeze grew warmer, more comforting. It swelled up around her, helping to ease the choked cries that were causing her to lose her breath.

"Do you know where you are?"

Aliana looked up. All she could see was a huge tree in front of her, the one she'd fallen on. Nothing important about a stupid tree…

"This is the place where we first met, where I saw you lying on the ground, angry and wounded."

"So this is where you choose to say goodbye!"

"No… This is where I set you free. Go now. Go home, Aliana… I will always… love you…"

Slowly the wind died down and she felt the strange presence leaving her. She felt a slight tickle along her arm and looked down to see what had touched her. A grey feather lay on the ground at her feet.

Aliana picked it up. Although it was a simple bird's feather, there was something different about it. This was no ordinary crow's feather. This was a feather from the great Gwahir, Lord of the Eagles, given to Legolas to save her own life. How it ended up here, she would never know.

"What one earth…"

The world around her seemed to crumble before her feet. It was like she was falling from a great precipice with nothing below her but air. She opened her mouth to scream, but no words came out. Around her, colors swirled in a huge spiral. Her dress fluttered about her feet and her hair whipped across her face. But the feather was still clutched tightly in her hand.

Faces whizzed by her, none of them seeming to realize that she was falling-or was she flying-at the speed of light. They were all busy carrying out their normal lives, unaware of what was going on around them. Some she recognized, most she didn't. But there was one in particular that caught her gaze.

A familiar face was staring straight at her, smiling lovingly. His eyes shone brightly at her. She could tell he was in pain, but nonetheless he lifted up his hand in a silent goodbye.

Aliana screamed at him, but no words came out. She kept on yelling at him regardless of whether he heard her or not. She told him how stupid he was for getting wounded and how stupid they had been for fighting. But most of all she told him how much she loved him and how much she didn't want him to die.

He couldn't hear her, but somehow he knew. The bond between them was so strong that he could feel it in his heart. He knew she would be alright back home. He knew he'd made the right choice sending her back.

(AN: OK, please tell me if that made no sense. It makes perfect sense to me, but that doesn't usually mean it makes sense to anybody else in this un-Rusty-like world…)

Alexus awoke with her head spinning and her heart pounding loudly, emitting echoes in her brain. She sat up with a sudden jolt, her hair flying out in front of her. Sweat dripped down her forehead.

"Where the heck am I!"

She opened her eyes slowly, almost afraid of what she might find. She was shocked to see that she was lying (AN: Oh my gosh! My stupid computer! I told me to put _lying_ instead of _laying_, but then it said to put _laying_ instead of _lying_ and it won't make up its friggin mind!) on a bed under thick purple blankets. The part of the walls that weren't covered in posters of Legolas and Gollum and various other pictures were painted purple and blue.

"What the-"

"Oh, good, you're up!"

Alexus jumped out of bed, reaching for the sword that was usually on her nightstand. Instead, her hand brushed across a picture frame, knocking it to the floor with a loud clash. Alexus looked towards the doorway for some sign of the person who'd spoken.

Leaning up against the wall was a tall girl wearing Capri pants and a blue t-shirt. She had a wry smile on her face and dark blue eyes that went perfectly with her black hair, worn in two short braids on each side of her face.

"Nikhila!"


	6. Chapter Six: Back to the Home from Hell

AN: How ya'll doin'! I'm doin' just fine for those of you who bothered to ask! I get to go to my bestest buddy's house all day today _and_ some of tomorrow! And then she probably gets to come over to my house later this week! (If you're wondering why I'm ditching school to go to my bestest buddy's house, that's because I wrote this during spring break…)

Anywho… I hope you enjoyed my last chapter and the poem, for thoses who cared to read it. I told you it wasn't worth it. Pretty lame if you ask me. I love poetry, but I was having an anti-romance week right around then. I was mourning over Adam Abeyta moving…

Oh, and a side note, Luke Calabro is a complete idiot and I can't believe I ever liked him! Guys are all jerks! I can't imagine why girls choose to like them! … OK, I admit it, I've done my fair share of guy obsessing, but the only one's I still love are the ones that aren't real. (Actually, Legolas is quite real! He resides under my bed!) Legolas, Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Borimir, Yuhi (Shadow Hearts), Toya (Ceres: Celestial Legends), Koga the Wolf Demon (InuYasha), Haku (Spirited Away), and Auron (Final Fantasy X)! At least, that's all I can think of right now. And maybe if Allen (Xenosaga) wasn't such a complete loser…

Lots of Love,

Rusty

Ps- OK, how many of you actually read the author's notes? Just curious…

Pps-Sorry it's taken me so long. We're moving, so our internet's been down for the past three weeks…

Chapter Six: Back to the Home from Hell

"You aren't even out of bed yet! I can't believe you!"

Alexus was too shocked to say anything.

"Hello! We have to be at school in 30 minutes!"

"Wha-"

"Don't tell me you forgot what day it is again! Honestly, I can't believe they let you in AP English _and_ Math!"

"B-b-but-"

Nikhila grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of bed. She opened her closet and rummaged through it as Alexus sat in shock on the floor. Clothes flew threw the air and hit her in the face, but she just tossed them aside.

"What is going on here!" she cried out, throwing her knee-high socks against the wall.

Nikhila turned around and looked at her, a navy blue pleated skirt in her hand. "What do you mean? It's Thursday and we have school to go to. Man, did you stumble into you dad's beer stash last night?"

"My…dad…?"

"Yeah, your dad! The one who beats the shit out of you everyday!"

Alexus stared at her in shocked horror. "You mean… I've come back?"

Nikhila's eyebrows furrowed and on her face was a look of utter confusion. "What are you talking about? You've been home the whole time! Man, I'm really starting to think you stole some of your dad's Tecate!"

"But I've been gone for years!" Alexus protested.

"Gone where?" Nikhila asked, getting annoyed but deciding to play along with her little joke.

"I've been in Middle Earth! You were there too, don't you remember!"

Nikhila laughed. "You loser! You seriously had me going there for a minute. Now hurry up and get dressed!"

She closed the closet door and left to wait for Alexus in the living room. Alexus still sat on the floor, feeling very lost and alone. _Doesn't she remember! She was there with me! And Ben too! What's going on!_

"Ben! That's it! She'll have to remember now!"

Alexus quickly dressed into her old school uniform. As she pulled her shirt on, she glanced down at her figure. _Wait a minute… Something is totally not right here… _Instantly she snapped.

"Aaahhh!"

Nikhila ran into the room, thinking perhaps her father had been lurking close by and waiting to catch Alexus alone. She found her standing in the middle of the floor staring down towards her feet.

"What's the matter!"

"My boobs shrunk!"

Nikhila rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh. "Geez, Alexus! You really _are_ a loser! I can't believe you!"

"No! I'm serious! I-"

She left the room again to wait for Alexus. Figuring they were probably going to be late anyway, she took the liberty of getting out the eggs and quickly scrambling them in a skillet, knowing Alexus wouldn't remember to eat anything.

Alexus, still having no clue what was going on or how she ended up her, soon appeared in the doorway to the kitchen in her pleated skirt, navy blue coat, knee socks, and a tie to match. Suddenly realizing how hungry she was, she grabbed the steaming bowl of eggs from Nikhila's hands.

Nikhila handed her a grey shoulder bag and slung her own over her shoulder. She pushed Alexus out the door, still thinking she might be a little drunk because she seemed to have no clue what was going on.

"What happened…" Alexus mumbled to herself as the two girls headed towards the bus stop. "Why am I back here… Legolas… Where are you…"

At the same time, Nikhila was tugging at her own skirt, wishing it didn't have to be so short. "Man! I hate going to private school! These stupid uniforms suck! I look like Kagome! … Did you say something, Lex?"

"This isn't right, Rina! I'm not-"

"Rina? Who's Rina?"

"So you really have forgotten? Alexus asked sadly.

"You're not still going on about Middle Earth are you! What, did you marry Legolas too or something!"

"…"

"Look, you better get your brain in gear because you've got midterms all week and if you flunk them… Well, it won't be pretty!"

Suddenly a thought struck her. "What happened to Ben!"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard! Well, you were sick yesterday, so I suppose you wouldn't have…When we were over at Jessica's the other day, he said he was going to run over to his house for a few minutes to get something and he…well…he just never came back… His mom called the police and they searched the area, but no one's seen him since then…"

"What!"

"Yeah… I feel terrible though. One of us should've walked him home."

"But-but… he was killed! By that god awful elf Ivellios!"

"Come on Lex! This isn't something to joke about!"

"But I'm serious! Come on Rina! You've got to remember! We were all there! In Middle Earth! We met in Lake Town and went on to Lothlorien and Isengard! And Ivellios…he…he killed Ben! And then you left through a portal in the basement of Isengard and I stayed with Legolas!"

Nikhila rounded on her. "Just stop it, OK! It's not funny to joke around with people like this! Especially about the death of a close friend!"

The bus pulled up in front of them before they could say another word.


	7. Chapter Seven: Out with the new, in with...

AN: Man, you all should get a medal or something! You've still stuck with me even though my story's taken so long to get underway! Thanks a ton to all you guys! It's just that I've been working on this other story with my bestest buddy (AKA: Nikhila) and I completely forgot about this one!

Anywho… Suggestions would be nice, I've kinda lost my whole train of thought on this story, so if you've got any ideas, let me hear them please! I'd be much obliged! Not to mention I might be able to finish this one faster…

Rusty

Ps- I'm so bummed! I didn't get the spot as Editor in Chief of our school newspaper… Poopy! Stupid Jake Wellman! Oh well, better luck next time I always say!

Pps- Actually I never say that, but I always wanted to, so I figured I could just say it for today!

Ppps- Sorry for the short chapter!

Chapter Seven: Out with the new, in with the old

Alexus sat through her sixth period class, still wondering what on earth was going on. She had only managed to make it this far without looking suspicious because Nikhila happened to be in all her classes except one. After all, it had been quite a few years; how was she supposed to remember where all her classes were?

She absently stared out the window, watching the PE classes run their grueling laps around the track. Her English book sat open before her, displaying a picture from the short story they were reading.

In this picture were a bunch of birds flying in the sky and many feathers falling from their dirty, black wings. She had no idea what it was about or who it was by and she really didn't care. All that mattered right now was finding a way back to Legolas.

She had to get back to him no matter what the cost! He could be dead and she would never see him again! But maybe she could find away to take something back to him, some medicine to help him! She would find a way!

The sharp noise of a ruler against her desk brought her from her thoughts of her husband in Middle Earth and back to her sixth period class in Portland, Oregon.

"Miss Myers? Would you like to tell us what Mr. Farek just read?"

She looked up into the dark and sinister eyes of Mrs. Hart, her English teacher. One of the few things Alexus did remember about her junior year in high school was that Mrs. Hart was one of the meanest teachers you would ever meet. She always seemed to know when you weren't paying attention, even when she was across the room, facing the opposite direction, and talking to another student.

"Well, Miss Myers?"

"Um…"

"That's what I thought. One hour of detention after school!"

"B-b-but I-"

"No buts about it, Miss Myers! Your lack of attention in this class has grown to an unacceptable level these past few months and it's time someone did something about it!"

There were a few snickers from the back of the room. Mrs. Hart turned around abruptly, hoping to catch the culprit in action.

"Mr. Farek? Do you think it's funny that Miss Myers is not paying attention in my class!"

"Uh…no! I just-"

"Then you also will join Miss Myers in detention this afternoon!"

"But-"

Having had enough interruptions for one day, Mrs. Hart returned to her lesson. Alexus sighed and rested her head against her book. The cool pages were relaxing, yet they kept her awake enough to keep Mrs. Hart from assigning her anymore punishment. Had she really been this bad a student in high school?

Nikhila had gone home, not really in the mood to wait for her friend this afternoon. Alexus now sat alone in the detention room, thinking to herself about how she planned to return to Middle Earth and her injured husband.

It seemed so weird to say that now that she was back in school. She was supposedly sixteen and married to some hundred year old prince. But she wasn't sixteen! At least, not really. But what was real anymore? What if she couldn't get back to Middle Earth? Would this become her reality again? Would she forget everything that happened? Nikhila had, so maybe she would too!

"Hey Lex!"

Alexus looked up, her thoughts shattered and her mind becoming a complete blank.

It was the boy from her English class who had shared her fate. He took a seat beside her and scooted his desk over beside hers.

"So, we still on for this weekend?"

"This…weekend?" she asked absently.

"Oh right… I forgot. You must be pretty upset still. Sorry…"

"Upset? Why would I be upset?"

"It's OK, Lex. You don't have to hide it from me. One of your best friends just died, I think I'd be pretty upset too."

"Died!"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah. Dead. Man, you're taking this a lot worse than I thought you'd be! Are you sure you don't want to see a councilor or something?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" she replied in a snappy manor.

"Well… OK… Anyways, we can just reschedule for another weekend when you're feeling up to it."

"Um…sure… Mr. Farek…" she said, this being the only name she could call him by for it was the only one she knew.

This made him laugh. He apparently didn't realize that she wasn't joking and figured she was mocking Mrs. Hart.

Alexus tried to recollect her thoughts, but she couldn't for the life of her remember what she was thinking about. Her mind was just…empty. At this moment, she remembered nothing of Legolas and Mirkwood and Middle Earth.

What she did remember though was Mr. Farek's first name. She recalled that he had been one of her best friends in high school. She remembered that it was Ben who had gone missing and was presumably dead, in fact, he hadn't been in Middle Earth at all and he didn't die by the hands of Ivellios. No! And Nikhila hadn't left her in Middle Earth! That was just some dream she had had last night. How crazy she was to think that they had all been in Middle Earth!

"You know what Jack? I'd kinda like to keep our plans for this weekend. I think some D&D will do me some good."


	8. Chapter Eight: Freaky Friday

AN: Howdy! Nothing new over here. Man, it seems like so long since I've written and for that I'm terribly sorry! I just get so distracted! But I promise, no matter how long it takes, unless I die first, I will finish this fanfic!

Oh, and in case you really cared, I've had another e-mail change, but fanfiction doesn't like me to change my e-mail address on the website, so I can't change it there. If you have an important comment or something that you're dying to ask me, my new e-mail address is I've wanted to change it, but since my AOL account is still active and my dad switched back to AOL from MSN, he doesn't feel like letting me make something a little more mature. Not that Legolas is immature, but there comes a time when you want a screenname that doesn't involve a nonexistent character from a movie, video game, manga, anime, etc.

You know what I've realized? I've killed Legolas! I had always known it in the back of my mind, but today I finally admit it. I've given him a personality that he's not likely to have. I've placed upon him the attitudes and lust only a human could have. I've demolished everything about him that makes him so enthralling. His mysteriousness, his calmness, his quietness! I've killed it all! Oh, may Tolkien forgive me! I have done a horrible deed! So, for those of you who sympathize with me and have always known that I am a killer of all that is sexy and pure, please forgive me! All I really wanted was to live vicariously through Aliana in a relationship that would suit her but also give the readers a bit of suspense! Oh what a terrible realization! Maybe it's just because I didn't get that spot as Editor and Chief. Maybe that's secretly been driving me insane all these past few days. Maybe I'm secretly going crazy and before they send me off to the funny farm, I want to collect forgiveness for my sins, one of which is completely destroying Legolas and everything about him that I've held so dear for the past ten years! Ever since I could read the books and watch the animated movies, Legolas has been my hero and I've killed him. Now I shall never be free to worship him again without feeling guilty. What shall become of my room and all its posters and action figures and life-sized, cardboard stand-ups of my beautiful elf! Oh woe is me!

Lots of Love and Thanks,

Rusty

Ps- In reference to my last chapter for those of you who don't know what D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) is. It's a roleplaying game where you roll dice, beat the crap out of bad guys, gain levels, gorge yourself on junk food, hang out with you best friends, all in the safety of your own home! I play it all the time with my friend Jay (Whom Jack is based off of)!

Pps- Oh, and my character that I play is an elven ranger named Aliana Falohuil. That's where Alexus came up with her name in the prequel in case you caught the familiarity.

Chapter Eight: Freaky Friday

"Yes! A critical hit! And Aliana scores again!"

Alexus picked up the dice and rolled it against the hard oak table. Jack, Nikhila, and Jessica sat around her, wondering how on earth she could be so lucky. Since they'd started tonight, she had killed 10 orcs, 20 kobolds, and the mage who had been guarding the treasure they sought. None of them had managed to get a hit in edgewise.

"Boo ya! You're going down ya stinkin' little kobold!"

Jessica, who had taken up the role of Dungeon Master for tonight's session, took down her DM screen and looked over at Alexus.

"I'm sorry to ruin your fun, but that was the last monster in the entire quest-even after I added 5 kobolds to keep you busy…"

Jack sighed. "Well, at least she'll level up some, unlike Nikhila and me…"

"At this rate you could beat out Legolas!" Jessica commented.

"Yeah, maybe he'd even let you marry him!"

The others laughed while Alexus suddenly remembered what had gone on the past few days. She had gotten sent back to her world by some unknown means and was stuck here until she figured out a way back. How could she have forgotten that!

Nikhila, who was very grumpy since she had hardly gotten a single kill the entire 4 hours they'd been playing, looked over at the clock and moaned dismally.

"Do you realize it's already 10:00 and I've got a softball game tomorrow!"

Yeah, I suppose we should all be getting home then," Jessica said. "Do either of you need a ride? My mom can take you."

Nikhila and Jack both nodded.

"OK, well we should be going then. See you tomorrow, Lex!"

The three of them got up, picking up their dice and character sheets on the way. On his way out the door, Jack looked over at Alexus quizzically.

"Hey Lex?"

She looked up.

"Where's your dad tonight?"

"Um… I don't know…"

She had completely forgotten about her dad! He hadn't shown up since the day she was home sick! Wait…she wasn't home sick! She had been in Middle Earth and everyone had just _thought_ she was sick!

"Are you gonna be OK?" Jack asked earnestly. "It seems like every time he's gone, he shows up again even worse than before…"

"Oh I'm sure I'll be fine!" she replied, trying to give herself confidence while every horrid memory of her father's abuse came flooding backwards. "If he tries anything, I can just whip out my bow and arrow and shoot him!"

"Uh…you do that…"

Alexus gasped silently. She had forgotten that Jack had no idea she could even shoot a bow or wield a sword or anything like that. He probably thought she was some kind of psychotic freak.

"Well…goodnight then…"

"Goodnight."

Jack waved to Alexus and closed the door behind him.

"Man…What a night…"

Alexus picked up the remaining dice and various papers from tonight's session and began stacking them in a nice, neat pile. She recalled the late nights she and her friends used to spend playing D&D on the weekends and over the summer. Back then they'd had Ben, but…

Poor Ben… Just that short walk back to his house to get something and he was gone… Wait! He'd been killed by Ivellios in the basements of Isengard! Bur Nikhila said… But she saw with her own eyes…

What was going on! It was like her brain was being pulled in two different directions! One side was keeping her from remembering Legolas and that world, while the other was keeping her from remembering this world. How was she supposed to find her way back to Legolas if she kept forgetting!

Alexus went into her room and searched through her closet for some pajamas. She pulled out a pair of tiny shorts and a midriff tank top.

"Wow! Did I actually fit into this! Man!"

She put on her former jamies and sure enough, they fit perfectly, a little skimpy, but they fit. She was really tiny back then! If she was back home these so would not fit! Not to mention all or Mirkwood would think she was some kind of hoar for showing her belly button to the world.

Home… Where was home? Is it here? Is it there? Is it…anywhere? (AN: Ha! That's rhymed!) Had she truly been at home in Mirkwood or was that just a lie? Was this place good enough to call her home, or was it just another hell?

"Oh Legolas! I wish you were here to help me!"

Alexus let out a sob. She fell to her knees in the middle of the floor, her head against her knees, her arms falling helpless at her sides. Her hair covered her face; her eyelids began to stick together from the tears that came gushing from her eyes.

_Why did you leave me! How did I end up here! I want to go back! I want to go home! Anywhere! I don't care! I just want to be where I belong! Where I can touch your face, feel you arms around me, know in my heart that you're alive and that you won't ever leave me! _

"I want to go home!"

"Don't worry. You'll be going there shortly. Back to hell where you belong!"

Alexus looked up, a feeling of utmost dread residing in the deep bowels of her stomach. That voice… It made her sick, it made her want to throw up. That voice was so terrible, so horrid that she couldn't bear to wipe the tears from her eyes and get a clear view of their owner.

On her knees she crawled back against the wall. The speaker advanced on her, his hand stretched out to her.

"Come over here and I'll wring your neck! You killed your mother, you deserve to die!"

(AN: So what do you think? Not as good as it's original, huh? Well anyways, I think I've figured out the rest of my original plan. I remember it pretty well now! Thanks for all your help and support!)


	9. Chapter Nine: The Girl who Overcame Time

AN: Howdy y'all! I don't have much to say except the order of clearing up some confusion. In my last Author's Note, when I said that I killed Legolas, I was referring to his personality, not his actual character in this story. (Although he might be dead by now… Nobody knows!) Other than that, I think that's all I have to say except that I hate when people write crappy fanfics that I can't even stand to read! (Nothing intended towards and of you of course, just something I was reading yesterday.)

Rusty

Ps-Remember what was happening? Alexus's father came home… DUN DUN DUN!

Pps-Oh my gosh! Do any of you watch Kaleido Star! Cause if you don't, you so should because it's the best anime in the world! Even better than Ceres! I bet some of you probably have no idea what I'm talking about, but I just had to tell you! There's this guy in it… He's just so awesome! Nikhila thinks he's a jerk, but I still love him! Anyway, back to the sory…

Chapter Nine: The Girl who Overcame Time…

And the Man who was just Drunk

"No!" Alexus screamed.

Her father was taken aback for a moment. He stopped his advance and stared, wide-eyed at her crying, quivering figure crouching in the corner.

"What did you just say to me?"

"No!" she repeated again. "I didn't kill mom!"

Her father laughed. "You really believe that load of crap! I thought you were at least a little smarter than that! You and I both know you killed your mother! If it wasn't for you, she'd still be alive!"

He raised his arm and struck her across the face. Alexus raised her head and stared him down with a piercing glare. After shedding so many tears on her beloved Legolas and wishing that he were here with her, she thought she could almost feel his presence.

In her mind, he was standing right beside her, helping her face her father. His strength was flowing through her veins. She remembered every time he would hold her close to him when she had a nightmare about her father, every time he would try to convince her that she hadn't killed her mother, every time he begged her not to go back to a world where her own family treated her like dirt.

She stood up suddenly, pushed him aside and left the room. Her father was so shocked and so drunk that he just stood there dumbfounded.

Alexus ran from room and stopped at the end of the hallway. She wanted to get away from her dad, but after what happened to Ben-or, at least what she thought happened to him-she figured it was better not to leave her house at this hour.

She knew her dad wouldn't come after her for a while; he was pretty drunk tonight. But she wanted to be out of site when he did come to and realize what had happened. She glanced rapidly around the house for somewhere to hide.

Behind the couch? No, he'd find her there. Under on of the cabinets? Nope, there was no way she could fit in one of those. Her eyes scanned the house and soon fell across the glass door that led to her tiny backyard.

She made for the dark abyss outside. There were no lights and the moon and stars were lost behind the many clouds that blanketed the sky. No noise could be heard at this hour, not even the hum of a car or the soft whisper of midnight lovers eager to escape their parent's rules.

Alexus was all alone again. She glanced around her at the dead grass and wilting flowers. Broken pots lay scattered about, various gardening tools were strewn all around the yard from the days when Alexus and her mother used to garden. There were small piles of cat droppings from the neighbor's wandering felines and a tiny hole where a wandering rabbit had made its home for the winter.

"It's so dead outside…" Alexus muttered, shivering in the cool night air. "If I was back home, there would be birds singing and bugs chirping and… Home… I wish I knew where that was. Here with my friends or… in Middle Earth with my love?"

She plopped down against the glass door and hugged her knees to her chest. The only thing she could see clearly through the dim light that was on back inside was a small wishing well. It had been her mothers. Her father had given it to her as a wedding present, before he turned to drinking.

Thoughts of her younger days suddenly appeared in her mind. It was as if they had been buried in a dark room and someone had suddenly freed them and turned on the light. She remembered sitting at the edge of the well with Ben and Nikhila, the day after her mother died. She recalled how Jessica had cried on her shoulder all afternoon at the well the day her parents were divorced. She remembered sitting around the well with Nikhila and Jessica and Jack, all weeping for the loss of their dear friend Ben.

Wait! That wasn't how it happened! She had seen Ben die with her own eyes. Ivellios had stabbed him! Ben had been trying to save her, trying to catch Ivellios off guard and slice him to bits!

_How can this be happening! How can I have these memories of things that aren't real! How can I have two sets of memories for the same thing! How can I see Ben die with my own eyes and yet remember hearing the news about him being kidnapped! And when Jessica told me he had been declared dead… What is going on!_

No matter how hard she tried these thoughts just weren't going away. The minute she got used to her old life and started to feel at home again, something would force her to remember Legolas! She had been here almost two weeks and she still hadn't thought of a way to get back home!

"What am I gonna do! I can't keep living here as long as I know Legolas could still be alive and waiting for me! I don't know what to-_yawn_-oh man! I'm really tired… Maybe I can think better in the morning after some rest. Tomorrow's Saturday, after all, so I won't have any classes to worry about."

_She was walking down a road, staring down at the ground. Not a paved road with cars and houses and other people. Just a small dirt road with no sign of life for miles around. Why was she walking down this road? What was she trying to get to? Alexus didn't have a clue! But there was something strange about this road. Something unusual, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it._

_She kept walking along without any purpose or notion of where she was headed. She hummed aloud to try and pass the time. She still couldn't figure out what was so unusual. _

_The more she walked the more she began to realize there was also something unusual about her voice. This she could figure out much easier than the road-she had no idea what was so strange about this road._

_As she listened to herself, it dawned on her that she was singing two things at once. And although they were two separate things coming from her mouth at the same exact moment, both were still as clear as day, neither one clashing in any way with the other._

_She listened closely to one._

_"I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour. I'll be there for you, like I've been there before. I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too..."_

_That was the song she and her friends always sang. It was like their theme song. And it was true. No matter what happened to any of them in life, they were always there for each other. They were like five peas in a pod-Jessica, Ben, Nikhila, Jack, and Alexus. Always together, always there for each other._

_Then she listened to the next song, or rather, poem. _

_"Close your eyes and go to sleep, I'll watch over you tonight. Tomorrow is another day, but you needn't think of that now. While I sit here and watch you dream, I get lost in my thoughts. Your beauty entices me, your soul inspires me, I can't explain it with words. How can I say these things to you, when our worlds seem so far apart? It's a strange attraction I have for you, but that matters little to me. Please tell me, is this love or lust, It all seems so real."_

_"That poem! I've heard it before! That's the poem Legolas sang to me. When we first met back in Mirkwood and I was being a royal bitch! That's the poem he sang to me! I still remember!"_

_Alexus looked up. Then she understood! She hadn't been able to tell what was so strange about this road because she had been staring at the ground the entire time! But when she looked up she saw that, on one side of the road, beautiful trees loomed, shining in the morning sun. Elves ran about, carrying out their daily chores. Layanna and Maleena were there, smiling back at Alexus. In the distance, she could see Legolas and his father speaking. He turned to her and smiled, waving her over._

_On the other side, huge buildings stood tall. The shopping mall could be seen, its many clothes and books and interesting foods drew Alexus towards it. She saw her school with all her many friends. She saw Nikhila at softball practice, Jack playing hi soul out on his trumpet, and Jessica just smiling at her. In the shadows of a tall building she noticed a very strange figure. He was so familiar, yet she didn't recall seeing him. He stepped out of the darkness and she realized it was Ben, waving at her with his goofy grin plastered on his face._

_Suddenly she was standing in an open field, still on the road. The buildings and trees were gone. The only thing before her was a big fork in the road. Down on path she could see the trees of Mirkwood again. Maleena, Layanna, Gandalf, and Legolas all stood to welcome her. She ran towards them, her arms reaching for Legolas's outstretched hand. _

_Suddenly she stopped. Down the other path stood Nikhila, Jack, and Jessica. Mandy was there too and Rachel! All of her old friends! Even Ben was there! They were all waving at her, beckoning her to come with them. Jessica held up her D&D manual and called for her to come play._

_She stood between the two pathways, looking from Legolas to Ben, Maleena to Nikhila. Somehow she knew that she could only chose one path. She had to decide. And if she didn't decide quickly enough…_

_Suddenly a third path appeared, in between the others. She saw her father running towards her. Alexus took a step backwards. She was terrified. He held a knife in each one of his hands and an evil grin was on his face._

_He was coming closer. He would reach her within seconds now. Alexus tried to run backwards, but her feet seemed glued to the ground. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't even think._

_"I'll save you!" _

_Instantly, Nikhila and Legolas, her best friend and her husband, ran towards her, flinging themselves over her protectively. Her father kept going. He had reached them. With one knife he stabbed Legolas and threw him off her and with the other he sliced Nikhila across the neck. _

_Now it was just the two of them. He stood over her, laughing. His knife came down towards her. She rolled to one side, but he took the other knife from Legolas and thrust it into her arm. _

_"Die bitch!"_

"Die bitch!"

Alexus woke up with a start. Her father was looming over her with a bloody knife in one hand. She felt the sharp tinge of pain in her arm as she looked down to see that had not just been part of her dream. She rolled away from him just in time to dodge his next attack.

It was light outside now. She must have slept the night outside. Her father must have woken up and found her. He wasn't drunk, but she recognized his slowed actions as the sign of a hangover. She could escape this one.

She stood up and made a run for the well she had seen last night. It was deep enough that he wouldn't get to her for a while. And maybe by then he would have given up and gone off to the liquor store.

Her hand grasped the edge of the well tightly, the rough bricks digging into her skin. She managed to fling herself over the edge of the well without any injury. She could hear her father's yelling getting softer and softer as she fell down.

Soon it had disappeared completely. All she could hear was her own heavy breathing. She never once felt her body touch the side of the well. All she felt was the warmness of the blood running down her arm.

She was still falling.

"Something's not right here… I don't remember the well being this deep…"

As she spoke those words her leg collided with hard ground. Her knees buckled and she hit the floor, her head bumping against the side of the well.

"Ouch…"

She stared up at the clear sky above her.

"That's not right. I fell farther than that, I'm sure of it!"

Alexus stood up and reached for the edge of the well. The rocks were rough and jagged, making it easy for her to climb her way out. Her arm was in pain, but she didn't care. Years of abuse made her nearly immune to this sort of thing.

She couldn't hear her father any longer and she didn't hear a single sound aside from the chirping of birds. She couldn't even hear the cars on the street behind her making their morning commute to work.

Her hands grasped to top edge of the well. She pulled herself up with all her strength and flung her body out of the well. Surprisingly, she landed on soft grass. She was in a small meadow surrounded by trees.

"What the hell…"

"Aliana!"

She looked up, startled. Before her stood a tall man with long hair, appearing to be silver in the sunlight. His ears were pointed and he wore a red robe over his pants that draped his entire body.

"InuYasha!"

(AN: OK, I had originally made this story to be amusing, not serious. So, be prepared if I take all you thoughts about this story and turn them into sheer weirdness. Actually, I don't claim to be that funny, but I hope it will amuse you! And maybe I won't even do that. Maybe I'll leave it the way it is and change my whole plan! Who knows!)


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